Gas-pipe safety device.



PATBNTED NOV. 26, 1907.

I. L. CLEVELAND. GAS PIPE SAFETY DEVICE.

APPLICATION FILED APR.25.1907.

IRVIN L. CLEVELAND,

OF FREMONT, OHIO.

GAS-PIPE SAFETY DEVICE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 26, 1907.

Application filed April 25.1907- Serial No- 370306.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, IRVIN L. CLEVELAND, a citizen of the United States, and resident of Fremont, county of Sandusky, State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Gas-Pipe Safety Devices, of which the following is a full and clear specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawing, in which Figure 1 is a vertical sectional view; and Fig. 2 a plan view with the top cap or cover removed.

The object of this invention is to provide a safety device for use in conduits supplying gas to gas-burners, the idea being to prevent accidental escape of unburned gas into the apartment and thus prevent asphyxiation of persons living therein and also accidental explosions, as more fully hereinafter set forth.

Referring to the drawing by reference characters a designates the casing or body of the device provided with a vertical central gas passage 1) which at its lower end is con tracted to form a valve seat 0 and is turned at right-angles to form an exit passage d leading to the burner. At its u )per end this passage is enlarged to form a chamber 6 cylindrical in shape and provided with an inlet passage which is adapted for attachment to the su ply main and leads directly into the chem er e at a suitable point between its top and bottom.

Resting in the bottom of the recess 6, below the inlet f is a diaphragm disk 9 which covers the top of gas chamber b except that it is provided with a central hole for the free passage of the stem 7b of the cut-off valve h, which valve is attached to the stem below the diaphragm g and is beveled at its lower edge to seat against seat at This valve is free to normally seat itself, and to lift it off its seat a rod i is employed which rod extends up through a stu'lling box j and is provided with a head or projection is on its upper end to prevent it being pulled down and out of the casing. This rod is frictionally engaged with sullicient tightness to permit it to remain where it is adjusted and support the gravitating valve h and its attached parts.

Attached to the upper end of the stem his a disk I which loosely fits within the cylinder chamber e, the stem being long enough to permit it to have a movement the entire distance between the stationary disk 9 and the avoided.

cap m screwed on the upper end of the casing and serving as a closure for said chamber 6. A series of four vertical passages n are formed in the body of the casing, the lower ends of these passages communicating with chamber 1) at a point sulliciently above the valve seat to permit valve 71/ to seat itself without closing them, while the upper ends of these passages communicate by lateral extensions or ports with the upper end of the chamber e a su'llicient distance below the cap to permit the floating disk Z to pass above them when it is raised to the upper limit of its movement.

It will be observed that normally the valve it rests against its seat and. entirely cuts off the supply of gas to the burner. When a supply of gas to the burner is desired the cock is first opened and then the push-rod 'i is forced up sulliciently to raise the valve h from its seat and thus lift the controlling disk I above the inlet ports of the passages n. The flow of gas will then support the floating disk at a point above the inlet ends of the passage n and thus permit a continuous supply of gas to the burner. Should the pressure in the supply main be reduced by breakage of the main or otherwise below a certain predetermined mimimum of pressure the weight of the valve IL and its parts will cause the valve to automatically seat itself and thus entirely cut oil the supply of gas to the burner. In this way it will be observed that should the gas be reduced to such a low pressure as to permit the valve to close the lights at the stove or burner will be extinguished and the supply of gas thereto entirely cutoll until the valve h is again raised by means of the push-rod. In this way accidental escape of gas into the room through the open cock of the burner after the flame has been extinguished by reduction of pressure is entirely It will be observed also that when the cock at the burner is Closed and the flow of gas stopped the valve 7i will innnediately seat itself. In this way accidental escape of gas is prevented should children or evil disposed persons open the cock without at the same time lighting the gas, it being necessary to again obtain a flow of gas to not only open the cock but lift the automatic valve by means of the push rod.

In dotted lines in Fig. 1 the valve is shown in its closed position in which position the floating disk l rests in the lower end of the chamber a at a point below the inlet f.

I am aware of patent to Field & .I-Iogue,

No. 361,684, dated April 26, 1887, and I do not claim anything therein disclosed. In that device there is but one large passage leading from the upper controlling chamber to the valve chamber below so that the outlet, under the controlling disk is entirely at one side, thereby resulting in tilting the valve and causing it to bind and thus prevent it be-v ing accurately responsive to variations in pressure, especially low pressures. I have tested a device of this structure and I found that the valve frequently dropped too soon while at other times it would catch and not dro at all, thus rendering it extremely unre liab e. This defect is cured in my device by dividing up the volume of gas into several small streams and in taking these streams out at various points in the circumference of the controlling chamber, thus rendering the floating disk accurately responsive and giving a steady, even action to the valve, especially under low pressures. With the springreturn push-pin arrangement of said patent that device cannot be used in connection with continued low pressure as there is no way of holding the valve up against its tendency to gravitate to its seat; whereas, in my device the push-pin is grasped sufliciently tightly by the stuffing-box to hold it up in its adjusted position so that it is a simple matter to prop the valve open until the normal pressure is restored and the autom atic action be again relied on. It will be observed also that the inlet f opens directly into the upper chamber 6 its full diameter and at a point above the disk Zwhen the same is down. The object of this is to give equal pressure all along the pipe line up to the inlet ends of the down-take openings and also to prevent anything happening to disturb the valve from its seat when closed.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is 1. In a safety device of the class set forth, a casing having a vertical gas passage divided into an upper and lower chamber by a transverse diaphragm, an inlet passage leading its full diameter into the upper chamber at a pointl'above its bottom, and an outlet leading -out of the lower end of the lower chamber, this lower chamber being provided with a valve seat at its lower end, a valve adapted to seat against said seat and provided with a stem passing loosely up through said diaphragm and having a floating con trolling disk attached to the upper end of said stem, said disk being adapted to normally rest below and to move up and down entirely across said inlet passage, said casing being provided with a series of passages extending from the upper end of the upper chamber down into the lower chamber at a point above the valve seat, these passages opening into sald upper chamber at various points in the circumference thereof, and a push pin Working up through the bottom of the casing for the purpose set forth.

2. In a safety device of the class set forth, a casing having a vertical gas passage divided into an upper and a lower chamber by a transverse diaphragm, an inlet passage opening its full diameter into the upper chamber at a point above the diaphragm, and an outlet leading out of the lower end of the lower chamber, this lower chamber being provided With a valve seat at its lower end, a valve seated against said seat and provided with a stem passing loosely up through said diaphragm and having a floating controlling disk attached to the upper end of said stem, said disk being adapted to move up and down across said inlet passage and to normally rest below the same when the valve is seated, said casing being provided with a series of down-take passages extending from the upper end of the upper chamber down into the lower chamber to a point above the valve seat, the inlet ends of these passages being connected to said upper chamber at various points in the circumference thereof. In testimony whereof I hereunto affix my signature in the presence of two witnesses this 22nd day of April 1907.

, IRVIN L. CLEVELAND. WVitnesses:

LESTER BORNLUS, A. W. OVERMYER. 

